King of the Blue Maze
by Glutamine's Way
Summary: Ib visited the art galley when she was nine. She has very few memories of the visit, but all she remembers is that she did not enjoy it tremendously. Now, seven years later, Ib revisits the gallery with a friend, and gets pulled into a completely different world. Mary was the Queen of the world the first time, and now that she's 'left', the maze has drastically changed.
1. A New King is Born

_Huh, what was I doing? _The red eyed nine-year-old though. She turned around, to see a painting, larger than the average canvas.

Fabricated World.

Fabricated? What does that mean?

_Whatever, this painting is weird. I'll go check out some of the others, but their just as weird. _

Ib turned the corner, seeing more weird sculpture and paintings.

_I've seen these before. Where? Why can't I remember?_

_But wait. That one looks different. _

Ib walked up to one painting, painted slightly different than the others. Something was different about it. The style? The paint used? The shading?

The bottom plaque read _The Forgotten Portrait. _It depicted an adolescent sleeping, wrapped in thorns, with blue roses framing the painting.

'Ib!' A sharp voice called out. 'Where have you been. I know this is a large art gallery, but still, must you go and hide from us? Come _on. _We're leaving NOW.'

Ib turned, seeing her mother, red in the face, stomping toward her.

'I'm sorry Mother, I didn't mean-'

Ib's Mother sighed. 'I know Dear. Something came up and we must leave now. Lets go.'

Ib glanced over her shoulder at the painting, getting one last look at it.

'Ib', her mother called, now impatient. '_Now_'. With that, she walked out of the museum, curious about the one painting.

* * *

\- SEVEN YEARS LATER -

* * *

'Wake up Ib, come one! We're going to be late!' Ib's friend said running around the room, trying to get dressed. School had been out for a week, and Ib's friend's Father had gifted his daughter and Ib with tickets to an old art exhibit that had recently been renovated. Her friend was so excited, Ib didn't have the heart to tell her that she despised art galleries...

Ib rolled out of bed. She went over to her stuff and pulled on a silver blouse and tucked the bottom of it into a red skirt. After looking out the window, she also grabbed a black sweatshirt before running down the stairs and hastily eating some breakfast. Her friend grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and yelled back into the house, 'We're leaving!'. With that she pranced out the door and onto the pavement. Ib glumly followed.

Ib's friend noticed her glumness. 'What's wrong Ib? I thought you would be more excited than you are?'

'What's there to be so excited about? We're just going to see a bunch of weird paintings.' Ib said as she pulled her black sweatshirt over her head to protect her arms from the bitter cold morning haze.

'But I thought you liked art.' Ib's friend said. 'You're always drawing those weird-looking dolls on your notes. And that girl in the green dress you drew yesterday...She was beautiful! Who was she? An old friend? Your sister...thought you said you were an only child.'

Ib looked away, pocketing her hands. The only reason she drew anything was because it haunted her in her head, and didn't leave her until she had trapped in on paper. She didn't know where the figures and shapes had come from, just that they were more often than not disturbing and frequent. 'Something like that.' Ib mumbled so her friend would stop talking about it.

After the two girls passed two more blocks of grey buildings, Ib asked, 'So what's the name of the art exhibit? I never caught it.'

Ib's friend pulled out the tickets. 'Something I can never pronounce. Here.' She handed the tickets to Ib.

Ib balked as she read -

_Welcome to the World of Guertena - Renovated!_

'Are you sure you want me to come along? I think I've already seen this art exhibit.'

'Really? You never told me you've seen an art exhibit...let alone this one!'

_Because I didn't remember anything from it other than a few weird paintings! '_Um...I guess it wasn't worth mentioning. The paintings were weird. In the end I got lost and mum yelled at me.'

'But it's renovated. New stuff must of been added!'

Ib shook her head. 'Guertena was long dead by the time I saw the exhibit.' _That is what the plaque said...right? I was, what, nine, ten, when I was there. I was not the most advanced of readers. _

Ib's friend looked disappointed. 'But..._something _must be new! You'll see when we get there!'

After crossing two streets and walking five more blocks, the two teens made it to the entrance of the gallery. Ib's friend was right, the building was different. More modern looking than it was seven years ago.

As she stepped inside, a strong scene of deja-vu washed over her as she stepped inside and the same voice that had greeted her seven years ago said 'Welcome to the art Gallery.'

Ib's friend squeaked with joy and pranced off as Ib handed the man the tickets.

When she departed from the welcome desk to find her friend, her feet moved her automatically before she knew what she was doing. She stopped herself two steps before she ran into a wall. T_hey must of rebuilt the building._

After two more hall ways lined with strange charcoal sketches and two left turns, Ib found her friend staring at one painting in particular.

'Hey Ib, why do you think this one painting looks so different than the others?'

'What do you mean by that? They all look the same to me.'

'Well most of the paintings so far have been abstract objects, like one was fruit, another has wine glasses, and another a weird eye. But this one is a full person, he looks like he's dead too...'

'He's not dead.' Ib said defensively. 'He's...just sleeping. I'm waiting for him to open his eyes.' Why did this painting look so familiar?

'If anything he looks lonely.' Ib's friend said. 'Especially with a tittle of _Forgotten Portrait.'_

'Sounds lonely. Wouldn't you be lonely if you were a painting?'

'I guess. You ask weird questions, Ib.' Ib's friend said, smiling at her.

'You have weird interests.' Ib said, rolling her eyes.

Ib's friend stuck her tongue out at her in a playful way and grabbed Ib's wrist. 'I dragged you here in the first place, so you _will _enjoy it. Let us be off, to more paintings. Or do you want to see the sculptures next?' She started walking in a random direction, pulling Ib along with her.

As they neared the end of the passage, a shiny brass plaque at the beginning of a hallway read _Sculptures↑._ There was only one painting in the hallway, which was odd, considering how all of the other walls were covered with odd and abstract paintings. But this painting took up the whole wall. If anything, it was even more bizarre than the others. Instead of a thing, it was many things, like there was a whole nother world on the other side of the canvas.

Ib stopped walking, and her friend let go of her wrist. 'Come on Ib, the sculptures are just pass this hall.'

'You go ahead. I-I'll catch up. I...I like this painting. I want to look at it more.'

'Something that finally piques your interest? Well, I'll just be looking at sculptures.' Ib's friend said, turning and walking away halfway through her phrase.

As Ib turned to look at the name plate, a light in the direction of the sculpture exhibit flickered.

_Fabricated World._

_What a fitting name for such an offset painting. _Ib thought. After standing in front of the 'Fabricated world' for a moment, Ib ran off to catch up with her friend. But then she exited the hallway, there was not a person in sight.

Ib sighed in frustration, and turned around to go to the other end of the hallway. The _Fabricated World, _Ib noticed, was leaking blue paint from the frame.

As she entered the other end of the hallway, the rest of the fluorescent white washing lights flickered and went out. Ib could still see, but it was dark.

When she reached the _Forgotten portrait, _the adolescent was gone and the thorn vines were no longer confined to the bounds of the frame. They were reaching out, growing at an impossible rate. Twisting into thicker vines, making small separate platforms, and then a set of stairs that seemed to lead into the painting. Backing up from the frame, eyes wide, Ib fell back onto the wall, stunned that such abnormalities could happen.

_Come, Ib. _A voice inside her head beckoned. _Come._

As if in a trance, she slowly stepped away from the wall and towards the painting, until she was right against the frame. The canvas seemed to have disappeared and the adolescent disappeared into the depth of the world beyond. A path was opening up, and the frame seemed to dissolve slowly. Either that or Ib was being pulled further and further into the world.

Ib took a breath, and took a step forward into the foreign world.

* * *

_gO..._

_Must..._

_Go..._

_mUSt..._

_Must go to..._

_...I...Promised..._

The words seemed to echo off the endless dark void. Growing louder, more intense. More painful to listen too.

He opened his eyes, and sat up, dispelling the void.

_...WOke uP?_

_So yOU WoKe up_

The same sound that echoed in the void was now echoing around his very existence, threatening it. Testing his willpower.

_gOOd MORning_

_HoW are YOu feEling?_

_HEY, Let's pLaY_

SInCe I FINALlY WokE you UP

'Play? Where am I?' He questioned, looking around. He was sitting up in a field of what looked like blue flower petals. There were no walls, no ceiling, just a void, a space tinted the same blue as the pedals.

_ThiS is tHE PLaCe where yOu liVe _the voice responded

'I am...? ...my name...?'

_AhaHAha WhAt aRE YOu saYIng! You HAve no nAME. HaVe a LOok aT yoUr TitLE_

''Your title''...? He glanced around until his eyes found a tarnished plaque half buried behind thorn vines. Standing up, he walked over to the plaque to read it better.

**_Forgotten Portrait_**

_BeCAUSe iT's ''forgotten'' yOU HaVe no nAME_

'But...Isn't that strange...'

_lET's JUsT PlaY!_

_'_But...I made a promise.I can't remember whom I promised what but...I will leave. I have to go. It-'

_LEaVe thIS PlaCe?_

'Was important.'

_YOu WanT to LeAve? REAllY?_

He directed his attention away from his surroundings and toward the plaque. Above it was a frame. The scene was many different moving faces looking up. Many of them moved away, then shortly afterward, two teenage girls, a blond girl dragging a brunette, came into the frames view.

'Looks like he's dead too...' Said the one who dragged the other.

'He's not dead.' said the other girl defensively. 'He's...just sleeping. I'm waiting for him to open his eyes...'

'That girl...' He said. '..somehow, she's different.'

_tHeN it'S DEcIDEd! It's ThAt ChIld! tHaT's IB_

_'..._Ib...?'

_WoN't be dIFFIcult to HAve hEr hERE a SECONd tIme_

'...I don't get what your saying...Anyway if that girl comes here, Can I really leave this place?'

_ThE KING befORe leFT liKe thaT_

_'..._I see. I'm sorry, Ib. I don't really hate you but I have to get out of here. There's a promise I made. And there's a promise I have to remember.'

_ThEn lEt's wELcoMe tHat cHIld. I'Lll mAke A NEw maZe aNd Set TRaps. wE WiLl SCarE aND seDUcE tHat GIrl. Ah hoW FUn thaT wILL Be! iT's a NEW maZe'S birTHDay! thiS TIme tHe KinG Is thE blUE roSe_

_'_An important one...'

_A blUE RoseS maZe, a BLuE kinG_


	2. Maze of the Two

Ib only realized she had closed her eyes when she opened them. When she stepped through, there had been the sensation that she was falling; falling on top of something...someone?

'Ouch~' said the thing she fell on.

Ib looked down, and quickly jumped up, 'I...I-I'm very sorry!' She stuttered.

'Meh, what...' The boy sat up and turned around and looked up with grey eyes...well..eye. He had lavender hair that covered his left eye and a dark blue...trench coat? It went down to his knees and was mauled at the hem and sleeve endings. Under that was an olive tank top and brown pants. 'What...a girl? What's the matter miss? Why did you end up...' He trailed off when he saw the tears in the girl's eyes. 'What happened? Did you hurt yourself?!'

'But...I'm so glad.' Ib sniffled. 'You were only sleeping after all...glad...so.' _I knew. I somehow knew that he'd open them._

He sat up and petted her head. 'Calmed down? I see your lost as well. You look so helpless when you cry like that, but hey. To tell the truth I'm lost as well. I wonder where this is?'

As He glanced behind himself, the bluish never-ending void seemed to replace itself with a maze of crooked walls, missed matched flooring and doors, numerous doors. Many paintings decorated the malformed walls 'Just when did I get lost in this kind of place? I don't get it.' He sighed. 'Where did you come from?'

'Um' Ib turned around. 'This painting...as preposterous as it sounds...'

'Painting? Ah, 'Unfulfilling Dream' huh? What a gloomy name.' _It turned into a different painting. Before it was just a view...now..._

The painting was of a blue rose that filled the bottom half of the frame. Thorn vines framed the picture in a way of saying 'this was the way you came, but this will not be the way you leave.' Towards the top of the painting was a mirror reflecting the painting, except the rose was red, not blue.

_Really, what is this place?_ Ib thought._ He doesn't seem to even remember that he dragged me here in the first place._

'But it really seems as if you came from the painting' He said as he reached towards the painting. 'Looks like some trick art with a door behind it-' The vines circling the rose snapped out at his hand. 'KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!' He shrieked backing away and clinging to the short sixteen year old. 'W-W-W-whawahwah what is this?! Something came out of the picture?!' Another thorn vine wrapped around his foot, which he then tried to get as far away from the painting as possible as fast as he could, but only succeeded in tripping backwards.

_He's so different than before in the picture, but...but somehow, it just feels like this is that person._ Ib thought.

'Ouch~' He groaned. Ib offered him a hand and helped him stand up. 'Thank you, Miss...?'

'Ib, My name is Ib.'

'Is that so...Ib-chan? I'm so glad I met you. I am... Huh? No good. Seems like...I really forgot. My name...Everything...forgot...everything...'

'That's so...but I guess with the painting's title and all. It's sad, but that's alright, I'm sure you'll remember soon! Till then I will give you a name. Uhm...Er...'Blue!''.

'Blue?'

'Um, the blue rose at your chest...'

'Blue' looked down at his chest. In the breast pocket of his ragged blue coat, was a blue rose with ten petals. 'Ah, this. I see, it's ''blue'', since its blue.'

Ib mentally smacked herself in the face.

'Thank you Ib-chan!' Blue said smiling. Ib smiled too. 'So,' Blue said turning around facing the great beyond, 'I don't know how it turned out like this but I guess we have no choice. Let's search for an exit, shall we?' He asked, extending a hand to Ib. She took it smiling. They started off into the great unknown abyss. 'Is it alright if I just call you Ib instead of Ib-chan? Or is that rude manners to a lady?'

'Ib's just fine', Ib said.

'Alright then Ib'.

_I don't know how it turned out like this with him, but for now, I only want to hold his hand, and I don't want to let go of it._

* * *

_tHe BEGinNing oF a NEW maZe_

_I WonDER whETHer thE KinG cAn esCApE tHIs TImE oR WHEtHEr ThAt cHIld esCaPes_

_WhiCh oNE wiLl be lEft aT tHe END_

_AH sO FUn!_

* * *

As the two strolled deeper into the realm, Blue glanced over his shoulder, staring at the painting. _That's right...petals of a blue rose. 'Unfulfilling dream'. I wonder whether I had dreams as well_

_I forgot..._

At that thought, he turned back around to focus on the path, the promise ahead. What he didn't see, was the withering of multiple blue rose petals and the disintegration of the wall behind them. It melted back into the blue-ish void it came from, never intending to be seen again.

* * *

Blue clutched Ib's hand tightly, nearly pulling her along. They were both out of breath and panting heavily.

'Ib, can you catch up?' Blue asked.

'Uh...y-yeah.' She said between breaths.

'Really...what the hell is wrong with this place? These strange artworks are chasing us...and they look really happy...' Ib and Blue were running from a small mob of headless statues, eerie looking blue voodoo dolls, and torso-less women in solid color dresses crawling out of brass frames.

'Long time...'Chimed the closest headless statue. The doll next to it followed up with 'No see~!'

'What the heck, even the doors and paths are weird!' Blue exclaimed as they turned a corner. The pathway split into three sets of stairs, one twisted right, the other twisted left and up. The third twisted in between the two and lead into a tunnel embedded in the wall.

'Which way?' Blue panted.

'Ummm...middle looks good.' Ib said. They ran up the contorted staircase and in through a door.

Slamming the gray door shut behind them, Blue slid down breathing heavily. 'This seems to be...a safe...place. Let's...let's rest here for a while.'

'Are you...ok?'

Blue looked at Ib. 'You seem to be taking this so calmly.'

'Eh?' Ib looked up.

'It even scared the hell out of me. Usually girls like Ib would be scared too. For one so young, you sure are reliable.' He said smiling.

'I'm sixteen.' Ib chided. 'But...It-it's nothing. I feel like the longer I'm here, the more I adapt to it and the more I understand this world.'

'However...' Blue said, 'it's fine to rely on me you know. I still understand everything even if I don't know about my self. Don't give me that look. I'm a man after all~ of course I can protect a little girl!'

Ib was stunned at the statement. Her face must of showed it because Blue's next words were, 'Ah, sorry did I make you uneasy?'

_I was trying to calm her down...did I just make her feel more uneasy? Maybe I'm too creepy. B-but if a girl is in this kind of strange place with a strange guy...of course she would be scared. Uhh...what to do...I know! _'W..well Ib, I-It's fine! the truth is...I don't have that kind of interest in girls. Because I'm an okama! (A / N - 'Okama' translates to 'Gay man'... And I would never call him gay. Don't you love technicalities) Even if it's impossible not to be interested...' Blue stopped when Ib's face fell. W_hat's with this atmosphere...I just made things more tense._

'T-that means...you like guys?' Ib asked, her face hidden in her hair.

'Uh...well...how do I put it?' _This...this is bad, I can't lie either...'_A...actually- Relax, guys or girls, I won't date anyone who's under twenty! I'm not a lolicon. There's no way I will target them.'

Ib felt like he'd thrown a hammer at her. She turned around so he wouldn't notice, but he did.

_Her spirit went down? What am I suppose to do with this kid?!_

_'_So...its forbidden if it's under twenty?'

'EH?!'

'What about sixteen?'

'That's a bit...' _criminal minded_

'If I'm eighteen is it alright?'

'You...you want to graduate soon?'

'After I graduate high school is it alright?'

'This...uh...we would have to consider the situation...' Ib's face lifted. _I was just trying to calm her down, how did it get onto this topic?!_

_Another two years _Ib thought mirthfully. She turned around and looked at Blue with determined eyes.

_But...the atmosphere seems to have lifted. That's good._

* * *

_HoW dOEs iT FEeL? Ah... ThIS iS unEXPECted_

* * *

Blue stood up and stretched his arms.

'Well, shall we continue?' He asked.

Ib nodded in agreement and stood up.

Blue took one step, stopped, made a weird face, then sneezed. But when he sneezed, one of the petals on his rose fell off. His eyes widened as he winced, and then pulled out the flower.

'Are you alright?' Ib asked.

'As expected. This rose...Seems like it's connected to my body. Yours should be like that too, be careful.'

'Uh, yes...but I don't have a rose...'

'Yes you do' Blue pointed to a flower in Ib's skirt pocket. 'It's been on you the whole time, you must of never noticed it.'

'Ah, ok.'

_aBOUt tHe roSE_

_IT's TRuE...aS ExPECted tHE kiNG iS TRApPeD in hiS oWN maZe_

_MUst oF bEen whEN he PUlLEd hEr In . He'S nOW inVOLveD iN thIS ToO . HE lOsT hIS meMORieS as A kiNg . WhaT A STUPid KINg . If i LEt TheM I'lL RemEMBer tOO . He'S STilL A kiNG AFTer AlL_

'Are you really ok?' Ib asked out of concern.

'I'm fine now, thanks' Blue responded smiling.

Blue extended a hand in Ib's direction, and she took it happily. Together they ventured farther into the twisted maze.

_Let'S SeE...ISn'T ThIS geTtINg eVEn MOrE iNTerESTinG?_


	3. Between Red

_Hello fellow readers. I'm happy you have decided to read this far! I'm not huge on AN's, and you won't see these often...(I'm sure most of you skip this part anyways b.b) so I'll make this brief. I'm not gonna set a regular update day or anything because knowing myself, I'll remember a month later, and then have many angry readers. So I'll just try to do it as frequently as possible. Which, sadly won't be too often once winter break ends. School has me quite busy. But I'll try to get as far along as I can while I'm still on break. I'm always open to suggestions and ideas. Happy reading. - P.S. I have a friend who is doing fan art for this story. As soon as she finishes them, I'll put links up on my profile._

* * *

After more blue distorted hallways, horrifying run-ins with overjoyed headless statues, moving paintings, blue dolls, many dead ends, and going in circles a few more times than would like to be admitted; the two came to a red door that was not like the others. Instead of the door just being locked or blocked, it was surrounded by red rose thorn vines, and had no knob. It looked like an over grown archway one would see in a luxurious garden.

'Only here...' Blue said, 'Is it so red.'

This room... 'But the thorns are blocking the way. Seems like we can't go in.' Ib commented. 'It must be hiding something really important.'_ It feels important._ She took a step towards the door and rested a hand on it.

'Ib...if you're too close you may...It's dangerous. We don't know what it...Ib?' As soon as Ib touched the door, the thorn vines started closing around it, as if they were trying to draw her into the room. 'Wait...Ib! IB!'

* * *

Ib blinked. One moment she was touching the red door, wondering what was inside, with Blue lecturing her how she shouldn't be reckless and touch foreign objects in an odd world where art moved. The next moment, Blue was nowhere in sight, and she couldn't here anymore of his nagging. The surrounding walls was covered in red rose vines, and pictures covered the room. Some even floated overhead.

_Their all the pictures of the same girl...why does it feel like I'm so familiar with her? _Ib's eyes widened as she realized..._This is me. These are the clothes people bought me for my ninth birthday. Their all my pictures...why? Same age, same clothes...it must of been on the same day. They're all the same...me when I was nine years old. What is going on in here? But...this place is suppose to make people feel uneasy. Yet I'm feeling alright. Just as if I'm with him..._

* * *

'Ib...hey Ib...why can't I get in?! IB! There's no other option...I have to find a way to get in.' At this, Blue started tearing at the rose vines at the door, trying to free up the door. The thorns bit into his hands, and a petal fell off his rose, yet he kept trying to clear away the vines. For every one that was disposed, another seemed to take it's place.

'...what is this?' When he had started making some head way, blue rose vines started to slowly wrap around his feet and legs.

* * *

'This should be the end of the pictures displayed in this room.' Ib said out loud to herself. Ib had been searching for a way out, and had come a long hall lined with identical picture frames. The only difference was that the paintings seemed to be taken with in twenty minutes of one another. Ib stopped and looked at one of the paintings. 'The crying...me? When I was at that age...did I ever cry like that?' The next few photos seemed to be taken within a closer time range of each other...the further down she went, the harder her nine year old self seemed to bawl. 'I wouldn't know. I can't remember. It's a strange collection of pictures.'

In the next picture, there seemed to be a hand that disappeared into a ragged blue sleeve towards the edge of the frame. In the next one, it was touching Ib's hair, as if the owner was to say _everything is fine_. At the hands touch, Ib only seemed to sobb harder. 'A hand...? Why do I have that expression? Who is the owner of this hand? However...it's clearly a sad piece of art. So why is it named something like this?' It was the only painting with a name plaque underneath it, and the plaque read _Wish_.

* * *

'Ehh~it hurts. Pulling people from there is a bit too much...' While Blue was trying to clear away the red door, Blue rose vines had wrapped around his legs and lower arms and yanked him through the tile floor into a different room. 'This seems to be another kind of room. Now this kind of place...'

Blue stopped his trail of verbal thoughts ah he glanced around the 'room'. 'Picture...?'

A frame that was separated from the rest of the room seemed to be the source of all the blue rose vines. They spilled down in every direction, making the brass plaque at the base of the picture impossible to read.

* * *

'Ah, this picture collection...does it end here?' As Ib looked at the next few pictures, a black border formed around the edges and her crying nine year old self seemed to be unwilling walking away from the owner of the mysterious-yet-comforting hand. In the next picture there a bigger black border and she was even further away and no longer facing the owner of the hand.

The next picture was the last one, and it was all black. 'E-ends...' Tears dripped out of Ib's eye's.

'Strange...w-why am I crying? I don't know. But it's so sad! It's just so tragic! And...their hand...' Ib glanced through her tears and to her hand. She clenched it into a fist and wiped her eyes. 'I let go of their hand! Where is this? Blue...no, that's not his name...Eh?'

While Ib was contemplating her awfulness for abandoning someone, a weak spot in the floor had collapsed inwards, blue rose vines snaking upwards. They wrapped themselves around her limbs and lowered her through the floor, dropping her when her head passed the tile.

Ib heard groaning under her. 'I'm sorry, It always seems to turns out like this...' She apologized as she crawled off of Blue.

'I'm just glad your ok. You really had me worried.'

Ib averted her eyes.

'You are fine right? Did anything happen in that room?'

'...That's...' Her answer was cut off when she saw the portrait in the room. 'Why? How come that picture is here?!'

'Ah, that picture. Do know about it Ib? I feel like I've seen it before...but I can't remember. Do you know Ib?'

'Uh...'

'Who is this?' Questioned Blue as he stared thoughtfully into a perfect replica of _Forgotten Portrait._

_'_Eh...?'

'I think I've seen a model of this picture somewhere or other.'

_Ah, that's right. He said he doesn't remember anything. He forgot everything about himself. But how am I suppose to explain this to him?!_

'But then again...is it a guy or a girl, I can't tell.'

'Ah...that...' Ib sweat dropped.

'It seems like a guy, see...it writes 'king' '. Blue pointed to the inscription that was cleared away. 'It's called 'King of the Blue Maze', or something like that.'

_This pictures title...This time the title of the picture changed._

'A blue maze, isn't it just like this place? Is it about the king of this world?'

Those words echoed in Ib's head _Is it about the king of this world? _'I don't know...'

'What?'

'I don't know this kind of person.'

'But...'

'I said I don't know! Let's leave...I don't like this place.'

'Eh...ok.'

Ib grabbed Blue's hand and started pulling him along, not letting him see her face.

_That scared me. This kid can get angry too...Even after all that's happened, being chased by live artwork, getting thrown into a different dimension, seeing odd things that would drive anyone crazy; I haven't seen her angry before. That picture...was it actually...However..._

_'_Uh, I didn't get a chance to ask back there, but what was in the red room?'

'Pictures of a girl.' Ib said, still not looking at Blue.

'That's it? Was there anything scary in there?' _This kid, actually, she's hiding something. What is it?_

'No, there was nothing.'


	4. Promise Me?

_I've always felt like I can't tell him about what was in that red room. And, especially, about that painting. _Ib thought's churned in her head.

_Ib doesn't look to good. Her eyes are swollen. What happened in there...?_

_Why is that picture here? He's clearly here with me. What's 'The King of the Blue Maze'? Somehow, I don't know why...but I can't let him notice. Cannot...let go. Of his hand. I've always felt like that. _

Blue looked over at Ib. _However...this kid is feeling uneasy. Of course, in this situation anyone would feel uneasy...But it's not just that. It's something..._'Hey Ib.'

'What?' Ib said, finally turning around to look at Blue.

'T...that...I-if we...uh, _when_ we get out of here, lets go to a cafe and have delicious foods together. That's right! Do you know these snacks called macaroons? Their so cute and tasty! When we get out of here how about we - '

'No.' Ib stated offhandedly.

'Eh...what? Do you dislike sweet things? How about red tea?'

'...It's not that.' _Because...because..._'I can't make that kind of appointments.' _That kind of appointments, there's no way to attend to it. _

'Ib...IB! Your feet!'

_Whatever happens, there's no way. sOMEhoW i FEeL sO..._

_'_This tile is...no, it's a picture?! Just what is going on?'

Where Ib was standing, the ground has turned soft, and Ib had started sinking. By now her ankles were covered. 'Ib, here. Take my hand!'

_Cannot...let go. Of his hand. _

'Stay calm!' Blue said panicking, which Ib found rather ironic. 'Lift your left foot first. Here! I'll pull you up.'

_However, going down like this...he may as well...His hands..._

'Eh...?' Blue's eyes widened as Ib let go of his hand. 'Ib? Don't...Don't you fool around with me, Ib!' He stepped into the picture with her and grabbed her shoulders. 'It's alright, you know... clinging to others, relying on others...' She turned her face away, looking in the other direction. He pulled her close as they sunk through the painting together.

_Abyss of Quicksand_

_Heaps of __uneasiness_

_is like quicksand in_

_depths of a heart. _

_Once both your hands_

_and feet are trapped in it, _

_There's no other way but_

_to be swallowed by it_

* * *

_'Uhhhhh...it...hurts...mmmm...ithurts...' a figure moaned. Looking down, Ib could just make out the outline of the figure that was in pain. A glint caught her eye, a key. The...thing on the floor was in no condition to use it, so she took it instead. Continuing down the path there was an open door, and another hallway with...surprise, another door. This door was unlocked, but the way was blocked by a big, heavy headless statue. _

_Ib sighed. Another dead end. _

_After passing the figure again, she glanced at it again, calling out, making sure it was still alive. It moaned back. Ib glanced at it one last time, then tried the other hallway. There was a room, in a room. And the room in a room had a window. The door was windowed room was locked, but they key she picked out of the moaning figure's hands fit the lock. Inside was another one of those lady-paintings, and she was picking apart a blue rose. Ib tried to get closer to the lady-in-blue, but since the room was dimly lit, Ib didn't see the short stool in front of her and ended up tripping over it; the stool making a loud crashing sound as it fell. _

_As soon as she spotted her, she abandoned the rose she was picking at and ran for Ib. Ib ran back to the door and slammed it. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears...that wasn't her pulse. The lady-in-blue was pounding at the window, trying to get out of the windowed room. _

_She smashed through the window, and ran for Ib. Ib, not thinking about the current situation, ran back into the windowed room. since the window was shattered, there was a bit more light in the room than before. Glancing around the room, Ib saw the stool she tripped over earlier propped up against the window. So that's how the lady-in-blue got through the window. Which means she couldn't enter from outside the room, right? Farther in the opposite corner there was the blue rose the __lady-in-blue was picking apart. Ib picked it up, and a leaf fell of the stem. She thought she had seen a vase in the hallway, but that meant she would have to get out of the room first._

_Slowly opening the door, she saw that the __lady-in-blue was looking the other way. She ran out of the room with the rose in her hand. The vase on the wall with a plaque on either side caught her eye and she raced over to it. Unfortunately, so had the __lady-in-blue. Not only was her rose getting away from her, so was her lunch._

_When she reached it, she jammed the rose in, then realized that there was no water in it. Eyes widening, Ib grabbed the rose out and turned to run to the exit, only to see the __lady-in-blue behind her. She reached out, grazing Ib's leg. A petal fell off her rose. She ran towards the door and slammed it behind her._

_Out in this hallway, there was a vase that was full of water. She placed her rose and the blue one in the vase and they both regenerate at a surprising speed. She picked them both up and walked towards the figure. she called out to him again. _

_'...mmm...what's this? The pain...is gone...oh?' The figure stood up, it's face hidden in shadows. 'Could...someone...gallery.' The words faded in and out. 'Thank goodness...gone mad...asked your name...I'm...You are?...Ib you say? Nice to meet you~. We...stick together...'_

_More shadows seemed to collect together and the figure was soon whisked away._

* * *

Ib's eyes fluttered open 'Ugh...who...?'

She opened her eyes all the way, staring into they eyes of Blue. 'Ib?' He asked full of worry. She opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by a tight embrace. 'You're finally awake again!'

_Eh...?_

Blue sighed in relief 'That's goooood...you warn't breathing earlier...'

_This is...this is talking about earlier..._

'You fell into that pond-like basin earlier.' Blue pointed to a pool of standing water that was dark, and deep looking. 'When I was going to pull you up y-you...you...then you didn't wake up, even thought you were breathing again, and I didn't know what to do...' Blue's voice broke. Ib just noticed that his hair was dripping and he wasn't wearing his weird jacket.

_CPR...So does that mean...first...My first kiss...uwaaaaaaaahhhhhh _Ib blushed.

'Are you alright? Your face is red. Are you feeling ill? You look a bit dizzy.'

'Eh...no that;s not it I'm fine I'me very conscious now.' Ib rushed out.

'Is that so?...That's good.' Blue said smiling.

Ib looked away, muttering, 'I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm really fine, and conscious, I'm very conscious.'

'Ib...' Blue said. Ib looked at him. He raised his hand and Ib flinched. He reached to the side of her head and picked something out of her hair, then stroked her head. 'I am very angry right now.'

_Even thought you say that, you still look the same _Ib though.

'At that time, when you were sinking in the picture...you purposely let go of my hand didn't you?'

_That..._'B-But-'

'No 'but's! But I really...I'm begging you. Never do that again. Were going to leave this place together, Okay? Promise me, please'

_He's __trembling. However, his body temperature's...cold..._

_'_So...next time I won't drag Blue into this, so It's not suck a big deal...'

There was a silence, then Blue hugged Ib. 'Fine. We haven't known each other for long. It's not that easy to trust one another, and It's not like we have lot's to talk about...But I hope you can promise me something.' Blue looked into her eyes, 'Don't cry alone silently. I want to be by your side if that happens, Okay? Maybe I can't do anything, but I can be next to you.' _Right...this kid's personality is like that. But as long as I don't let go of her hand, it will be fine._

_He knew about me crying in the red room _Ib thought. 'Um...'

'We agreed about this, right?'

'Hm...now that I've calmed down...I don't think this position is the best for us...'

_This kid has a big brain. _'Ah, sorry. It is uncomfortable?'

'No it's not that...'

'It feels like forever since we first met...now that I think about my gender...'

'Ah, that's right.' Ib said sitting back on her knees. 'Since you forgot everything about yourself, maybe you even forgot about your gender?' _That would explain..._

'...Ummm...your being a bit rude, aren't you? Ah, your already sixteen, I can't put you on par with a nine year old...Ah...how...where did that come from...the nine year old thing...?'

_The red room had pictures of me from when I was nine years old...It should be unrelated...right? _Ib turned her face away to check out her surroundings,

Looking out over the dark basin, Ib saw that it was full of headless statues, blue creepy dolls, and even a few paintings. The only difference between these and the one they saw before, was that these seemed to be falling apart. Old, beaten looking picture frames linked themselves together, as if they were forming some sort of path across the basin. The blue dolls had limbs falling off, button eyes coming un-sewed and threads sticking everywhere. Old paintings were floating over the basin like lily pads. Their painting was smeared and leaking, the canvases frayed. Headless statues seemed to be unraveling, their insides, despite their weight, were hollow.

_'_Back to the topic now...what is actually going on?!'


	5. Law of this World

_A blUE RoseS maZe, a BLuE kinG_

_tHe BEGinNing oF a NeW maZe_

_iT's TRuE...aS ExPECted tHE kiNG iS TRApPeD in hiS oWN maZe_

_MUst oF bEen whEN he PUlLEd hEr iN. He'S nOW inVOLveD iN thIS ToO. HE lOsT hIS meMORieS as A kiNg. _

_WhaT A STUPid KINg._

_He'S STilL A kiNG AFTer AlL_

_WhiCh oNE wiLl be lEft aT tHe END_

_whAt FUn. WAtchiNG thEM_

**_sUfFer_**

* * *

_What is happening here...could it have anything to do with the red room? _Ib's mind was reeling. 'What...? They were so happy back in that other room - ' _How did they even get down here? I fell. Does this mean...this could mean there a way back up. _She turned to Blue to verbalize her theory, but stopped when she saw his face. He was staring out over the basin, half in horror half in shock. His face seemed to have paled. 'Blue...'

'We have to leave here. We must get out of here.'

'How? We're surrounded by the basin.' Ib pointed out.

Blue seemed to be struggling internally with something. Finally he seemed to collect himself. 'Well...the floor we fell from looked somewhat like an art gallery. It's like someone with bad taste designed the studio, and this is the formidable trash room.'

'Gurtena.' Ib stepped forward. 'The artworks and sculptures in the upper gallery were made by a man called Gurtena. I guess this is Gurtena's studio, or rather, the way he thinks, and his art style, the way it seems...' Ib trailed off. After a minute she finished her thought, 'This world is unchanging. Even though there are so many exhibits here, it feels somewhat deserted. As if the creator has abandoned his creations.'

'You may be right, but even if the creator, Gurtena has left his creations behind, he didn't abandon them completely. It feels like he left some of his soul behind when he made the creations themselves. Your well informed about all this, Ib. Do you enjoy art?'

'Mmmm...not terribly. I mainly know about Gurtena. That's it though.'

'Oh, are you a fan of his?' Blue asked, 'You really like this kind of stuff. I'm really not that into it.'

Ib sweat dropped. 'Not really.'

_I want to know more. More about you, Even if it's just a little bit, I want to know more. So I con get to know you better...even if I looked, I wouldn't know anything about you..._

_'_Oh...' Ib said, snapping Blue out of his train of thought.

'What's wrong?'

'Well, If were really in Gurtena's mind right now...we might be able to find out something about _you, _Blue.'

'...Huh?' Blue was caught off guard.

'I wonder if Gurtena wrote memo's while he worked?'

'Ib, is there a relation between me and this...artist called Gurtena?'

Ib hesitated. 'Uhm...well, that's...' _Well...you _are _one of Gurtena's masterpieces._

'I'm sorry, I got it wrong.' Blue said resting a hand on Ib's head. _So there are still things you cant tell me yet._ 'It's fine, just don't keep it bottled up inside. If I could only remember even fragments of memory, that'd be nice. If I got my memory back, we might be able to find out more about this world too.'

_His...memories..._'Uh, Blue?'

'Though I must say, the lake in this world seems to have broken up, we won't be able to move around much like this-' Blue's statement was cut off when the ground started shaking violently. 'Wha-?! An earthquake?'

'There's something coming up from below!' Ib started when something grabbed her, then she calmed down when she realized it was just Blue clinging to her. After what seemed like hours, the shaking subsided.

'...did...did it stop?'

'You can let go of me now.'

'Ah!' Blue pulled away. 'Just making sure you didn't fall...hehe...W-what is this?' He looked down at the slate colored raised platform they seemed to be on. White lines decorated it in seemingly random patterns.

'An arm?' Ib stared at the arm shaped platform. 'There seems to be something written on it...letters?'

'More arms seemed to raise up over there too.' Blue pointed across the basin. 'There too.'

'I have no idea what these letters make out to be-'

'I really want them to stop doing this kind of stuff.' Blue said offhandedly, 'I don't know who the artist in charge of this feet is, but the whole place is unsettling.'

'Hey, Blue, if you look at it from over here, Don't you think the letters link to form a sentence?'

'What?'

'The Law of...This world...Existence for another...To exchange one's.'

'Oh, your right...though I still don't know what it means.'

'Wait, Ib! don'tleaveme...' Blue said in a small voice.

_It's been bothering me for a while now, It's a bit scary and I don't want to give it too much thought, but if this really is Gurtena's World...then he might not be able to leave this world. _'Lets see...' Ib approached one of the arms that was out of sight from the arm she was originally on. 'To change fantasy into reality...' _After all, he is one of Gurtena's works, if this is Gurtena's world then this is where he should've been. _

Ib reached the second arm, 'And then, 'Is possible'. _If he's only a painting called 'The Forgotten Portrait', Both his memories and his name...might not of existed in the first place._

_If I'm not wrong, Blue, who can only exist in the fantasy world of the painting he was created in, wanted to exist in the real world outside, then he would have to exchange..._

Ib's thoughts were interrupted when Blue grabbed her hand. 'Shall we take a break?'

The two of them made their way back to the arm that they were on when the shaking first started. Blue and Ib sat down leaning against a vertical arm that was adjacent to the one they were standing on. 'Thanks for this.' Ib said, handing Blue back his coat.

'Oh, guess it was too big for you. Thanks.' Blue slipped his torn up coat back on and stuck his hands in the pockets. 'Though I must say, this is a pretty random world were in. Geeze, what a mess. What are we suppose to do now?' He said, stretching his hands behind his head. 'I have no idea what those sentences mean, or what this 'Exchange of existence' stuff is. I wish they'd just write how to get out of here. But I guess it can't be that simple.'

'That just might be it.'

'What?'

'Changing from illusions to reality means that the people or things in the paintings can become real, right? So to exchange someones existence...'

'The people in the painting? Sorry, Ib, I don't get what your trying to say.'

'I-I came from the outside world! So I think my existence from that world will be exchanged for someones existence in this world.'

'Ib, wait...what are you going on about? What are you saying?'

_In order for me to go outside, if there's no other way about it..._'Hypothetically speaking, if only one of us can get out of here...' _Then I might as well..._

'What are you saying?' Blue was about to continue, but the shaking ground cut him of. 'It's started to move again. Ib, this way, you should move away from the ed-KYA!'

'BLUE!.' The shaking arm had thrown Blue off the edge, and onto the side of the hand. Ib had grabbed his hand before he had fallen completely off the edge.

'Blue...I can't...pull you up.' Ib panted.

'Drop me' Blue said, straight faced.

'B-but'

'It's okay, just drop me.' Ib was hesitant, but she did as Blue had asked. There was a small patch of land that Blue landed on, instead of drowning in the basin. 'See? I told you it was okay to drop me.' He said smiling. 'How can I get back up on the hand?'

It was short lived. As Blue moved around, looking for a part to get back up on the hand, the ground started shaking again, and the small patch of land Blue was standing on started to crack. _Ah, this is bad..._As soon as the thoughts appeared in Blue's mind, the land gave way, sinking Blue into the basin.


End file.
